Department of Health and Social Care

NHS: Flexible Retirement

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of offering NHS staff the ability to take flexible retirement.

Will Quince: The Department is implementing new retirement flexibilities for the NHS Pension Scheme. From 1 April 2023, we abolished the 16-hour rule that capped the amount of work retired staff returning to National Health Service employment could do before affecting their pension. Retired staff who return are now also able to build up further pension should they wish.We also intend to make a new partial retirement option available to staff from October 2023. Staff will be able to draw down some or all their pension whilst continuing to work and build up further pension.These measures are expected to help retain experienced NHS staff, whilst making it easier and more attractive for retired staff to return.

Asbestos: Industrial Diseases

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce the number of people dying from asbestos related diseases.

Neil O'Brien: There is no cure for asbestosis, as the damage to the lungs is irreversible. The National Health Service may recommend pulmonary rehabilitation for people with asbestosis or, for more severe cases, oxygen therapy if they have low levels of oxygen in their blood People with chronic respiratory diseases, such as asbestosis, are one of the groups offered vaccinations under the national influenza vaccination programme.The NHS announced the first new mesothelioma treatment to be approved in nearly 15 years in July 2022. At the time of approval, the life-extending treatment, combining nivolumab and ipilimumab, was estimated to benefit around 1,000 patients in England each year.In Great Britain, the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 are in place to protect workers from asbestos exposure. These regulations require duty holders to assess whether asbestos is present in their buildings, the condition it is in and to draw up a plan to manage the risk associated with asbestos, including removal if it cannot be safely managed in place.

Department for Business and Trade

Companies: EU Law

Holly Mumby-Croft: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to support UK companies in adapting to EU laws on (a) carbon border taxes, (b) plastic waste management, and (c) supply chain monitoring which differ from UK equivalent laws.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The UK Government was appointed an observer of one of the EU’s informal expert group on monitoring, reporting, quantification and verification related to the CBAM implementation, and is engaging with the EU about their draft Implementing Act, which was published last month. As we gain further clarity on the implication of the CBAM, we will continue to engage UK businesses to offer the support that they need. HM Treasury are leading work to consider whether or not the UK will establish its own CBAM. The Government published a Border Operating Model which provides guidance on the rules exporters must follow to import and export waste, including plastic waste, from the EU. We have published and shared guidance material to help businesses strengthen their supply chains resilience. A supply chains resilience framework was published in November 2022 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supply-chain-resilience and, Working with the National Protective Security Authority and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, we have developed tools to help businesses improve their understanding of supply chains and manage risks and future shocks. https://www.npsa.gov.uk/supply-chain-resilience.